(KJV) Jeremiah 18¹

⥃The Potter and the Clay

[1] The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, [2] Arise, and go² down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause³ thee to hear my words.⁴ [3] Then I went⁵ down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels⁶. [4] And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in⁷ the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make [it]. [5] Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,⁸ [6] O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay [is] in the potter’s hand, so [are] ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.⁹ [7] [At what] instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck¹⁰ up, and to pull down, and to destroy [it]; [8] If that nation¹¹, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will¹² repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. [9] And [at what] instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build¹³ and to plant [it]; [10] If it do¹⁴ evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then¹⁵ I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

[11] Now therefore go to¹⁶, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise¹⁷ a device against you: return¹⁸ ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. [12] And they said, There¹⁹ is no hope: but we will walk²⁰ after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart. [13] Therefore thus saith the Lord; Ask²¹ ye now among the heathen, who²² hath heard such things: the virgin²³ of Israel hath done a very²⁴ horrible thing. [14] Will²⁵ [a man] leave the snow²⁶ of Lebanon [which cometh] from the rock of the field? [or] shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken? [15] Because my people²⁷ hath forgotten me, they have burned²⁸ incense to vanity, and they have caused²⁹ them to stumble in their ways [from] the ancient³⁰ paths, to walk³¹ in paths, [in] a way not cast up; [16] To make³² their land desolate, [and] a perpetual³³ hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be³⁴ astonished, and wag his head. [17] I will scatter³⁵ them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew³⁶ them the back, and not the face, in the day³⁷ of their calamity.

⥃Another Plot against Jeremiah ^{[ Jeremiah 11:18–23 ]}

[18] Then said they, Come³⁸, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the³⁹ law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel⁴⁰ from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite⁴¹ him with⁴² the tongue, and let us not⁴³ give heed to any of his words. [19] Give⁴⁴ heed to me, O Lord, and hearken⁴⁵ to the voice of them that contend with me. [20] Shall evil⁴⁶ be recompensed for good? for they have digged⁴⁷ a pit for my soul. Remember⁴⁸ that I stood before thee to speak good for them, [and] to turn away thy wrath from them. [21] Therefore deliver⁴⁹ up their children to the famine, and pour out their [blood⁵⁰] by the force of the sword; and let their wives⁵¹ be bereaved of their children, and [be] widows; and let their men be put to death; [let] their young⁵² men [be] slain by the sword in battle. [22] Let a cry⁵³ be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for⁵⁴ they have digged a pit to take me, and hid⁵⁵ snares for my feet. [23] Yet, Lord, thou⁵⁶ knowest all their counsel against me to slay [me⁵⁷]: forgive⁵⁸ not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal [thus] with them in the⁵⁹ time of thine anger.